Ep 115: Out-of-the-Box Strategies to Curb Evening Alcohol Cravings

I'm a wife , mom and a joy-filled Catholic , and I am the Catholic Sobriety Coach , and I am so glad you're here Today . We're talking about something that so many of us wrestle with . I want to talk about some common reasons why women turn to alcohol in the evenings . Of course , we think about it a lot as a stress release .

So after a long day filled with responsibilities of work , caregiving , managing a household or whatever else we need to do , you know we use alcohol as a quick fix to decompress and relieve stress . Relieve stress . Alcohol can become a way of pressing pause on the endless to-do list or numbing the weight of it all , even if we know it's only temporary .

And then a lot of women turn to alcohol in the evenings because they're lonely . Evenings can sometimes feel isolating , especially for women who live alone or are navigating different seasons in their life , where certain relationships feel distant , such as after children grow up or moving to a new place .

Or , you know , you're retired , there's just certain life changes that can have us feeling lonely , because the people who we used to spend a lot of time with may not be there anymore . So a glass of wine for those women may feel like a comfort . And then , of course , there's boredom .

Without having meaningful evening rituals or hobbies , boredom can leave a void and many of us turn to alcohol to fill that void . It feels like an activity and an easy thing to turn to when it seems like there's nothing else to do . And then , of course , there's social influence .

Many women drink in the evenings because they want to be included in the social norms . Whether it's a zoom happy hour , a mom's night out or couples unwinding together , alcohol can become a fixture in those shared moments . And then there's the habitual routines . Patterns are powerful and many reach for alcohol simply because it's part of their nightly routine .

I cannot tell you how many women I talk to will say I drank a glass of wine and , quite honestly , I don't even know why I did it . I didn't even need it , but I just felt like I was supposed to do it , and that is because it's just part of the routine .

So a lot of the work that I do is disrupting that routine so that they can develop new routines and healthier habits . And then people turn to alcohol because they have trouble sleeping . So alcohol is often seen as a way to fall asleep faster , and it does do the trick for that . Unfortunately , it will often disrupt your sleep in the long run .

You definitely do not get the quality sleep that you do when you are not drinking , and oftentimes women who drink before bed will sometimes think they have insomnia , but really it's their body processing the alcohol that is waking them up . And then , of course , many of us use alcohol to self-medicate for emotional discomfort .

We drink to cope with feelings of sadness , anxiety , unresolved emotional struggles , but unfortunately , alcohol offers a temporary solution for a much deeper pain . If you don't address the source of the pain , then it's just going to keep coming back .

And then , of course , there's the cultural messaging , from memes about mommy wine to commercials romanticizing alcohol , don't forget those influencers are all reinforcing the idea that drinking is acceptable , encouraged and even necessary to be a good mother , which I will tell you is completely false .

Okay , so now that we've talked about why women turn to alcohol in the evenings , let's talk about some ways to combat that . And here's the good news there are so many creative and even faith-inspired ways that you can break free from those cravings and reclaim your evenings .

And , trust me , these ideas will not only disrupt the habit , but will just bring you more joy and purpose and peace and have you feeling much more present in your life . So we are going to be exploring 20 fresh strategies that are going to help you curb those cravings , and I would guess that some of these may surprise you .

I tried to come up with some out-of-the-box ideas for you to do , and then I also wanted to approach some of them from our faith perspective . I hope that these will encourage you and help you on your journey as you look to reduce or eliminate alcohol from your life .

So our first strategy is about creating a sacred evening space , think a cozy little corner where you can pray , journal or simply be . Still , add a candle , maybe an image of Our Lady or your favorite saint , your rosary , your Bible , and keep in mind this isn't just a place to sit .

This is your space to meet God , carve out this time to reflect and invite His peace into your heart . Now I've heard of women just taking a corner in their bedroom , putting out a few pillows , or setting up like just a little table or altar , their prayer space . I've also heard of prayer closets . Whatever works for you and your space , do that .

For me , this can sometimes look like simply lighting a candle and reflecting on where I saw God present in my day . It doesn't have to be elaborate , it doesn't have to be time consuming . It just has to be meaningful and something that you look forward to . The next one is to take a clean slate shower .

I've heard this from a few other coaches and , quite honestly , this is a practical but powerful strategy , and when I heard it , it reminded me of when my kids were little . Sometimes , if they were having a really bad day , they were very emotionally dysregulated or something , and nothing was calming them down . Nothing was helping .

I would ask them do you want to take a bath ? Do you want to have a bubble bath ? And they would tearfully nod their head yes and take a bath . And I will tell you every single time they came out a happier child , their emotions were regulated and it was just like the water and being in the bubbles just washed away their stress .

And that can be the same for you , too , if you are like me , I don't particularly like baths . If you like baths , take them , but I like showers , and when that warm water hits your head , there's just something about that that just kind of is calming , like the noise of the water hitting the floor of the shower .

All of that can just be so soothing and just can help take away those cravings and even the temptation itself . If you want , you can buy like a special , like evening soap , or use essential oils like just put them at the bottom of your shower and just make it like a luxurious experience .

This next one is probably not going to surprise you , since I am a Catholic coach , but praying the rosary with intention can be very powerful . You can turn your cravings into an opportunity to pray . You know all those times when people tell you something and you're like , oh yeah , I'll pray for you .

Or maybe you have a prayer journal that's a mile long with names . This is the perfect opportunity to get outside of yourself and focus on serving and praying for others . You could do something as simple as praying a decade of the rosary for your own intentions , the intentions of your children , your family or all those that you promise to pray for .

You can offer it for strength , perseverance or strengthening of your spiritual gifts and an outpouring of God's grace that can help you resist the cravings . Another thing I love to do while praying the rosary is walking around my home or yard while praying .

It's a motion of moving my body , getting some of that exercise , some fresh air , but also just praying the perimeter of my home or praying for my family members in that home .

The next is to explore some unusual flavor combinations . So if you are actually craving the ritual of drinking like your habit is what you're craving , not necessarily the alcohol this is a great time to explore some quirky new beverages like kombucha herbal infusions , like kombucha herbal infusions , some non-alcoholic wines , spirits .

I used a margarita mix and I used some zero-proof tequila and just a little bit of herbal infusions in it and it was so good . I loved it . I thought it was really good . I even had like salt on the rim and I made it look really pretty with a slice of lime on the side . I actually have .

If you go to my Instagram feed , you'll see the little video of it . I am not a mocktail maker expert , anything like that , but I wanted to share it with my audience there so you can go take a look there too , if you want . Another suggestion is to spend time connecting with your patron saint .

If you don't have a patron saint , then maybe this is a good time to explore some saints . One of my friends , belinda Mooney , wrote a book called Praying with the Saints . It's 365 days of saints , and I love it because each day is a different saint that you can learn about .

There's usually a prayer that goes along with it , but setting aside time to learn more about their life , their struggles and their victories time to learn more about their life , their struggles and their victories , and then , if you want , you can even reflect on the ways they have inspired you , by reading about their life , to grow closer to Christ .

What did you find admirable about them that you would also like to inspire to ? Number six is to sing along to sacred music or praise and worship music . Sometimes all you need is a good song to lift your heart . I've heard it said that singing is like praying twice , and I completely believe that .

What I have done , that I absolutely turn to often , is I created a pray list . I actually named it Come Holy Spirit , and I just filled it with all of my favorite like pump me up Holy Spirit music that I love to sing along with .

It's such a great way to release tension my mind and most of all and just praise the Lord with all my heart , with all my soul and all my might . But then , of course , there are times when I want something quieter , like be thou , my vision is so beautiful . It's impossible not to feel strengthened by those lyrics . You can find it on youtube .

You can find all different versions , so just whatever music you love that fills you up and connects you to the lord . I invite you to really tap into that and use it in those moments , especially if you're feeling alone , if you're feeling like God is far from you can just be a great way to open yourself up and allow God just to pour into you .

Number seven is something that I also do all the time . So I keep a little bit of holy water by me almost all the time when I'm at home and I bless my home , I bless my children's room . When I'm having a tough time , I will bless myself and I just ask God for grace . You can do this when a craving creeps in .

Have that holy water there , or some blessed salt , or both , and when a craving creeps in , use those sacramentals to bless yourself and ask the Lord for the strength to resist the craving . Number eight is to kind of play with the lighting and change the mood of your space .

So if your space feels dull or uninspiring , just try changing the lighting by adding some string lights . Or use color a lamp to create a calming environment . Soft blues are great for peace . Warm golden tones for comfort . Blues are great for peace , warm golden tones for comfort .

It's just amazing how a simple shift in atmosphere can redirect your focus , which can actually help you fight those cravings . Number nine is to write letters to God or even to your cravings . Journaling can be such a healing practice and when a craving feels overwhelming , you can try writing to God about it .

Or , if you want to get even more creative , write a breakup letter to your cravings and tell your craving why you're moving on Like dear craving . We've been together a long time , but you are no longer helping me and I'm choosing joy . I'm choosing freedom , and you'll be surprised at how liberating this feels .

If you've ever felt like alcohol was both your best friend and your worst enemy , then check out episode 76 , friend or Frenemy . Are you in a Toxic Relationship with Alcohol . Okay , this one's one that I found online and I thought it sounded fun .

So what you do is you set a timer for one minute and find five objects in your home that bring you joy or remind you of a blessing . Gratitude , in this case , will shift your focus , and you can again do this when you have a craving and just think okay , guess what time it is , I'm not going to grab a drink .

This is gratitude object hunt time , and just try it out . Who knows what you'll find . Maybe you'll find some of your kids' old photos or your grandmother's rosary , or you know . Just anything else that is a reminder of God's goodness and love , of God's goodness and love . Number 11 is to take an intentional evening walk with prayer .

So moving your body is a great way to shift your mindset , but making it a walking prayer is even more powerful . Recite the Jesus prayer or say a mental litany as you're walking . This is also a great time if you want to start a novena and then you can say it as you walk . It is simple and it's restorative .

Number 12 is to reflect on the sacrifice at Jesus . Look up at the crucifix . Look at the crucifix that you have in your home . I'm sure you have one or many , and it can be such a comfort to look at that image . Reflecting on his strength will inspire you to surrender your smaller struggles into his hands . Number 13 is to fast .

Fasting is one of my favorite things .

If you look at your decision to reduce or eliminate alcohol as an opportunity for fasting , an act of offering to god , that will be so much more powerful in helping you resist the craving , and then you can dedicate that offering to someone in need or use it as a way to spiritually strengthen your will against alcohol , alcohol .

Number 14 is to create a new evening ritual . Evenings are special . Turn them into something new that energizes your soul .

If you think evenings are boring , if they seem to drag on , create a ritual that you look forward to , whether that's sipping on herbal tea , reading scripture , Whether that's sipping on herbal tea , reading scripture , creating a gratitude list , doing a hobby that you love painting , reading , drawing , playing games with your spouse .

Choose things that you look forward to . Number 15 is one of my favorites and something we do a lot around here , and that is to laugh it out . Sometimes the best medicine is laughter . So if that means watching a funny video or sharing a fun memory or moment with a loved one .

Do it Because laughter not only lightens your mood , it starts to weaken those cravings . Number 16 is try cold exposure . So this one , I know , is going to sound crazy , but briefly splashing your face with cold water can calm your body and bring you in to the present moment . It jolts your senses and actually curb a craving .

I know people that do cold plunges I don't , but I hear that they can be very beneficial . So if you want to do that and if you've checked with your doctor and it's okay for you to do that , then that might be something that would be helpful .

My husband currently doing Exodus 90 and cold showers are part of that , and I've heard you shouldn't apply the cold water to your head first because that's dangerous or something . But getting in a cold shower , it doesn't have to be ice cold like his is .

But getting in a cold shower it doesn't have to be ice cold like his is , but getting in a cool ish shower again has the same effect of jolting your senses . Number 17th is talking about a new evening ritual which is to make fake faith-based art so you can take a calming activity like drawing , bible journaling , lettering Bible verses .

Engaging your hands and mind with something purposeful can be so helpful in curbing cravings . Number 18 is to practice the nightly examine , so you can end your day with St Ignatius's examine , which isa short reflection , where you call to mind where you felt God , where you struggled and what you're grateful for . So you can journal about this .

And this can be a great way to bring closure to the day and hope for tomorrow . Number 19 I mentioned already , but that is to start a novena . So if you are craving persistence , dedicate nine days by asking for intercession . Saint Augustine is one of my favorites .

He is a wonderful choice for resisting temptation , and Saint Monica , his mother , is a model of unwavering prayer . I am also a huge fan of the Novena to the Holy Spirit . I've actually included it in my sacred sobriety lab . It's like the very first thing that happens in my course , and each day we pray for a different gift or fruit of the Holy Spirit .

And number 20 , you've made it is to use scripture as a shield . Keep those verses close to your heart . Recite Psalm 34 . Taste and see that the Lord is good . Or Philippians 4 , about grounding yourself in joy and the hope that God brings .

Knowing scripture , steeping yourself in scripture , can help root out the lies of the enemy , combat our own insecurities and help us realize that we have a loving Father in heaven who loves us , sees us , knows us and wants us free . Who knows you , sees you , loves you and wants you free .

So there you have it 20 creative , faith-filled strategies to curb evening alcohol cravings .

Now remember , as I always say , this is about progress , not perfection . So every time you choose one of these ideas , just know that you are taking a step toward freedom and peace . You are building those muscles . You're building your sober muscles . My challenge for you now is to try one out tonight and let me know what you did and how it went .

You can always reach out to me on Instagram at the Catholic Sobriety Coach , or you can click that , send a text button that is in the show notes and let me know . Until then , know that I'm praying for you and that the Lord is walking beside you in every moment . Well , that does it for this episode of the Catholic Sobriety Podcast .

I hope you enjoyed this episode and I would invite you to share it with a friend who might also get value from it as well , and make sure you subscribe so you don't miss a thing . I am the Catholic Sobriety Coach , and if you would like to learn how to work with me or learn more about the coaching that I offer , visit my website , thecatholicsobrietycoachcom .

Follow me on Instagram at the Catholic Sobriety Coach . I look forward to speaking to you next time . And remember I am here for you , I am praying for you . You are not alone .